COACHING CAROUSEL
It's been 10 days since Carolina's season ended, but as of now there have been no changes on the coaching staff, but that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be any this off-season. Coaches are on vacation this week.

FREE-AGENT UPDATE: The Panthers have no candidates that could possibly be named the franchise player. The team has no free agents who they must absolutely re-sign.

FEELING A DRAFT
The Panthers select 14th overall in the draft, and they have plenty of needs to fill. The most glaring are middle linebacker, left tackle, safety and tight end. At some point Carolina may look for a big power running back, something that former second-round selection Eric Shelton failed to become.

TEAM NEEDS

Middle linebacker: The Panthers can't trust that Dan Morgan will make it through the season after suffering through his fifth concussion. In fact, there's a chance the team will release Morgan.

Safety: The Panthers got little to nothing out of last year's free agent pickup Shaun Williams, and Mike Minter, who turns 33 this month, isn't making a lot of plays. Look for two safeties to sign this offseason, perhaps one in free agency and another in the draft.

Offensive line: Pick a position, any position. The Panthers simply need more talent on the offensive line to be the type of running team they want to be. A left tackle would allow the team to move Jordan Gross back to right tackle and move Travelle Wharton over to right guard.

MEDICAL WATCH
DE Mike Rucker will have surgery this week to repair a torn ACL in his knee. Rucker went down in Week 15 against the Steelers, and the injury raises some question about his future with the team. It's unclear if Rucker will be ready to go by the start of next season.

--Another former Pro Bowl player, G Mike Wahle, is likely to have surgery on his shoulder after missing the last three weeks.

--C Justin Hartwig is recovering from surgery a couple of months ago to repair a groin injury.

--T Travelle Wharton is recovering from surgery in the fall to repair a torn ACL in his knee.

--QB Jake Delhomme will not need surgery to repair his sprained right thumb, which should heal fine in due time.

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